


Christmas Eve

by Ajluv



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Christmas Eve, Drinking, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Swearing, canonical character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-22 20:12:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4848938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ajluv/pseuds/Ajluv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When he opens his eyes again, there's another redhead slouched on the stool next to him, so downtrodden and miserable looking that Don wonders if he's looking in a mirror. It's Christmas Eve and there's too many empty chairs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Eve

He's halfway through a bottle of the cheapest whiskey available when the doors open suddenly and a group of people rush into the bar, bringing chatter and cold air with them. He closes his eyes, rubs his shaking fingers along the scruff on his chin and reaches for his glass again, finishing the dregs in one desperate gulp. 

When he opens his eyes again, there's another redhead slouched on the stool next to him, so downtrodden and miserable looking that Don wonders if he's looking in a mirror. They have the same greasy hair, the same dark circles and gray skin from too many nights of hard liquor and sadness. However, this kid, because he barely looks legal drinking age, stinks of vodka and Malarkey had sworn off vodka after a raucous night in college. 

With that loaded thought, his stomach twists around the greasy food and whiskey and his tear ducts twinge. He grumbles in frustration and pours another couple fingers and after a moment of consideration, he fills up another glass from the last of his personal bottle and slides it across the scratched top into the elbow of the ragged green jacket sitting next to him. 

The kid emerges from his stupor and squints down at the tabletop. 

"Thanks." He mumbles before downing it like a pro. 

The bartender hits the radio a few times and it belches a line of static that eventually forms words and melodies until Christmas carols are blaring through the room with fairly clear reception. 

"I hate this time of year." Malarkey says quietly to himself and the kid grunts empathetically from the bottom of his flask, apparently having heard. 

"What's your damage?" The kid snorts to him drily and signals the bar for another bottle.

Malarkey moves his jaw around a little, wishing he had remembered to buy some breath mints so his mouth didn't taste like ash and nicotine. 

"I could ask you the same question." He replies, not looking to be coy or any shit, but simply tired of communicating to people that didn't understand or care. It was exhausting and draining and it took everything out of Malarkey until he ended up in a dive bar on Christmas Eve. 

The kid chews his lip and rubs his head and fidgets until Malarkey has to look away to keep himself calm. 

"Too many damn little kids being fucking stupid." The kid slurs. "Didn't know he was so stupid." He huffs this out in one long ragged sob that ends with some mangled name, torn into mangled syllables. Julian or something like that. 

Malarkey isn't listening as attentively as he could be because he's taking another slug. And another. The Christmas lights were reminding him of Skip's eyes, the way they lit up and danced whenever he saw Malarkey, wether it was in the hallway between classes or later when he came home from work, bounding into the living room like a tornado of happiness, jumping on the couch and laughing before draping himself across Malarkey's lap, blond curls floating in a makeshift halo around his head where he would cheerfully inquire, "And how was your day?" 

Oh and Penk. Cheerful little Alex. They gave him so much trouble in high school, filling his locker with water balloons and being his wingmen in college and dealing with his constant efforts to get his two best friends in something that wasn't friendship. And his elation when his plan worked...

Another slam jerked Malarkey out of his reverie and the cold air drifted through the room again. The newcomer, a guy with an underbite and a short haircut, swept through the crowds like it was nothing, forcing his way to the corner where the two miserable redheads slouched, like he had made the fight a couple dozen times. 

"Cmon Babe." The guy murmured low in his throat in some sort of strong accent as a greeting and heaved the kid up and into a warm winter coat as he fumbled for his cell phone. "Doc? Yeah, I got him." The tinny chattering of frantic voices came out of the phone speakers and Malarkey winced at the hard rush of noise. The guy took notice of this, giving him a quick and biting look over, but apparently deeming him harmless as he hung up the phone and took on half of his friend's weight before pausing. 

"Thanks." The guy added as an afterthought. 

"Didn't do anything." Don mumbled, sliding Babe's bottle over to himself so that he could pay the tab and save the poor kid from one more thing to worry about. 

Babe's friend didn't seem to have anything to say to this, but rather nodded briefly before hauling his friend out into the cold night. 

"Didn't do anything." Malarkey murmured again to himself as the door closed again, drifting back into his alcohol induced haze, where it allowed him some relief from Skip and Penk. No one would be coming for Don tonight, no friend looking for him, no lamp still on at home, waiting for him to come turn it off and slide into his side of the bed so that warm arms could pull him closer. 

Not anymore at least. 

And the drafts of the open door chilled Don to the bone.

**Author's Note:**

> No disrespect is intended to the men of Easy Company, this is based off of the fictional representation as shown on HBO. Watching the aforementioned show, I can't help but notice some of the contrasts and parallels between Malarkey and Heffron, where some things went wrong and how others got better. Other then that, this was written for practice and posted for archive purposes, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.


End file.
